Cleaning yarn



y 1941- H. P. SERIO ETAL 2,241,936

K CLEANING YARN Filed Nov. 17, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l TTORNEX May 13, 1941. H P. sEmo ETAL CLEANING YARN Filed Nov. 17., 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. 744mm Jae/o BY MM 552/0 2; I r TTORNEY.

May 13, 1941.

CLEANING YARN Filed Nov. 17, 1938 H. P. SERIO ETAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS. flaw/w J'E/E/O m0 071mm M55121 Patented May 13, 1941 CLEANING YARN Harry P. Serio and Anthony'W. Serio, Elmira, N. Y.

Application November 17, 1938,"Serial No. 241 924 8-Claiins. ((31.28-54) This invention .relates .to cleaning yarn and more particularly to .a method of and means for removing seeds, and like undesirable matter from yarn.

The primary object of the invention is the stripping of the undesirable matter from the yarn while it is being processed in a mill, for instance, as it is being transferred from one bobbin to another by a winding machine.

Another object is to improve the quality of textiles made from the yarn without materially adding to their cost of production.

Still another object is to extend the field of utility of cotton yarns which heretofore have been regarded asundesirable for certain classes of merchandise dueto their high content of cotton seed and similar undesirable matter.

Among its features the invention embodies a yarn support, means for directing a moving strand of yarn longitudinally of the yarn support, means for supporting aseries of flexible blades above the yarn support with their lower ends engaging-the yarn, said blades being adapted to flex when a seed or other foreign substance carried by the yarn comes into contact with them.

Other features embody means for regulating the degree of flexure of the blades, means for adjusting the-position of the yarn support relative to-the lowerends of the blades andyielding means retaining the yarn support against the adjusting means and yet permitting the support to be rocked about ..a longitudinal axis to facilitate threading the yarn along the support.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a conventional yarn winder showing this improved yarn cleaner in operation thereon;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the yarn cleaner;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the means forgoverning the degreeof flexure of the yarn cleaning blades;

Fig.5 isan end view of the yarn cleaner illustrating indotted lines the position of the yarn support during the threading operation;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a modified form of our invention;

Fig. 'Tis a rear view of the modification illustrated in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 88 ofFig. 7.

Referring .to the drawings in detail, a winding machine of the conventional type is designated generally it and is provided with the usual winding bobbin ll, traverse I2, yarn guide l3, and mounting it upon which the bobbin l5 from which the yarn is being removed is supported.

Carried on the frame of the machine if! are brackets it to each of which an arm I1 is removably attached. The arm I! serves to connect the frame 20 of our improved yarn cleaner to the machine in proper relation to the bobbins H and 55 so that the yarn in its passage from one to the other will traverse the yarn cleaner longitudinally. The frame 20 comprises a bar 2| provided at opposite ends with a pair of transversely disposed arms 22 which are formed adjacent their junction with the bar 2| with upwardly extending standards 23 carrying at their upper ends blade supporting arms 24 which are inclined so that their outer ends project slightly beyond the outer ends of the arms 22 as shown in Fig. 3.

Extending longitudinally of the frame and through the arms 22 is a shaft 25 carrying at one end a bracket 26 having an upwardly extending pin 21 upon which a cylindrical weight 28 is mounted. The outer end of the bracket is bifurcated as at 29 to serve as a yarn guide through which the yarn passes on its way to be cleaned, and a thumb piece 3i) projects laterally from the bracket 25 for a purpose to be more fully explained. Mounted on the end of the shaft 25 opposite that carrying the bracket 26 is a bracket 3! carrying a yarn guide 32.

Supported on the shaft 25 between the arms 22 is a yarn support designated generally 33 which is formed of stamped sheet metal and comprises a substantially inverted V-shaped trough with its apex flattened to form a table 34 over the upper surface of which the yarn passes. This table is preferably provided at spaced intervals with transverse slots 35 to permit seed and the like, when stripped from theyarn, to fall out of the path of oncoming yarn. The side walls of the trough opposite the table 34 are formed with outwardly extending stiffening flanges 36 and 31, the latter of which is of a width sufficient to engage an adjusting which engage the end walls of the yarn support 33 so as to yieldingly hold the flange 31 against the cam 38 and maintain the table 34 in proper position relative to the yarn cleaning blades to be more fully hereinafter described. Formed in the upper surface of the table 34 and extending from the slot 35 adjacent each end of the table to the ends of the table are grooves 44 which serve as yarn guides to hold the yarn traversing the cleaner in proper position beneath the cleaning blades to be more fully hereinafter described.

Extending between the upper ends of the blade supporting arms 24 is a bar 44 carrying in spaced relation to each other a series of blades 45, the lower ends of which are notched as at 46. The blades 45 are so supported that their lower ends are close to but not quite in contact with the table 34 as shown in Fig. 3, and are adapted to flex when foreign substance is encountered in the yarn passing along the table. Mounted for rotation between the upper ends of the standards 23 is a shaft 41 carrying at one end a knurled thumb piece 48 by which the shaft may be rotated. A set screw 49 enters one of the standards 23 and is adapted to engage the thumb piece 48 to hold the shaft against accidental rotation. Carried by the shaft 41 between the standards 23 isaplate 50 provided with spaced slots in which the blades 45 are received. It will be seen that by rotating the shaft 41 the active length of the blades may be varied and, hence, their degree of fiexure will be altered.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 through 8, our improved yarn cleaner comprises a frame designated generalh 52. This frame consists of a main supporting bar 53 having at opposite ends laterally extending arms 54 carrying upwardly and forwardly extending standards 55. Formed in the arms 54 near their outer ends are substantially V-shaped grooves 56 which serve as yarn guides. Carried on the lower edges of the arms 54 near their junction with the bar 53 and extending horizontally outward are ears 51 for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described and mounted for rotation in a bushing 58 carried by the bar 53 there is a screw 59 having secured to its inner end an adjusting cam 50 and adjacent its outer end a knurled thumb piece 6| by which the screw and cam can be rotated. A clamping nut 52 is threaded upon the outer end of the screw 59 in order to hold the parts in their proper adjusted position. Formed in the forward edges of the arms 54 adjacent their lower. ends are notches 63 forming stops the purpose of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

Pivotally mounted through openings formed in the arms 54 is a barrel 64 which is preferably stamped from a single sheet of metal into the form of .an inverted semicircular trough having formed in its uppermost side a plurality of transverse slots 55 forming a plurality of spaced bridges 66 over which passes the yarn to be cleaned. The opposite ends of the barrel are closed by heads 61 carrying outwardly extending ears 68 which enter the notches 63 as illustrated. Leaf springs 69 carried by the cars 51 extend forwardly parallel with the arms 54 and engage the undersides oi the ears B8 to yieldingly urge the barrel 64 to rotate about its pivots. Formed on the rear edge of the barrel 64 is an outwardly extending tongue which is adapted to engage .and ride upon the cam 50 to limit the movement of the barrel under the influence of the springs 69. Carried on one of the pivots upon which the barrel 64 is mounted is a bracket 15 which is bifurcated as at 1| to form a yarn guide. Secured to the bracket is an upstanding pin 12 upon which a yarn weight may be mounted, if so desired.

Extending between the upper ends of the standards 55 and directly above the longitudinal axis of the barrel 54 is a blade support 13 carrying a plurality of spaced parallel blades 14 the lower ends of which are notched as at 15 and disposed very close to, but slightly out of contact with the bridges 65 so that yarn traversing the bridges will be engaged by the blades and any foreign matter stripped therefrom.

Obviously if so desired .a blade fiexure adjusting comb such as shown and described in the yarn cleaner disclosed in Figs. 2 through 4 may be employed.

In operation the yarn is threaded through the cleaner by depressing the thumb piece 30 and tilting the yarn support 33 as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 5 thus permitting the yarn to enter the grooves 44. Upon releasing the pressure on the thumb piece 30, the yarn support will return to proper position under the influence of the springs 43 so that the flange 31 rests upon the cam 38 and the yarn is brought into proper position beneath the blades 45. The proper position of the table is controlled by rotating the thumb piece 49, and its position may be locked by set screw 4!. The degree of fiexure of the blades 45 is adjusted by rotation of the shaft 41 and this adjustment is maintained by the engagement of the set screw 49 with the thumb piece 48. Yarn. passing over the table 34 passes beneath the lower ends of the blades 45 and any foreign matter carried by the yarn will be engaged by one or more of the blades and stripped from the yarn, falling through the slots 35 so that the yarn which finds its way to the bobbin II will be free from seed and other objectionable matter.

In the operation of the modified form of yarn cleaner, the device is mounted as illustrated in Fig. 1 and yarn is carried through the bifurcation 1| and past the post 12 into the notch 55, across the upper faces of the bridges 6B and into the notch 56 at the opposite end of the cleaner. By thus guiding the yarn through the notches 55 danger of its displacement while passing through the cleaner is avoided. It even becomes unnecessary to tilt the barrel 54 during the threading operation. As the yarn passes over the bridges 65 any foreign matter encounters the lower ends of the blades 14 and is loosened by the repeated combining action until it is finally completely stripped from the yarn and falls through the grooves 65 and out of the path of travel of the yarn.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention as claimed.

We claim:

1. A yarn cleaner comprising a yarn support, yarn guides for directing a moving strand of yarn longitudinally of the yarn support, means supporting a series of spaced depending flexible blades above the yarn support, the lower ends of the blades engaging the yarn and being adapted to vibrate parallel to the direction of movement of the yarn, and means to govern the degree of fiexure of the blades.

2. A yarn cleaner comprising a yarn support, yarn guides for directing a moving strand of yarn longitudinally of the yarn support, means supporting a series of spaced depending flexible blades above the yarn support, the lower ends of the blades engaging the yarn and being adapted to vibrate parallel to the direction of movement of the yarn, means to govern the degree of flexure of the blades, andmeans to adjust the position of the yarn support relative to the blades.

3. In a yarn cleaner, a frame, a series of spaced flexible depending blades carried by the frame, and a yarn support pivoted in the frame, said yarn support having a yarn supporting surface in close proximity to but slightly spaced from the lower end of each blade, and means to control the degree of fiexure of the blades.

4. In a yarn cleaner, a frame, a series of spaced flexible depending blades carried by the frame, a yarn support pivoted in the frame, said yarn support having a yarn supporting surface in close proximity to but slightly spaced from the lower end of each blade, means to hold the yarn support in various adjusted positions relative to the lower ends of the blades, and means to control the degree of flexure of the blades.

5. In a yarn cleaner, a frame, a row of spaced depending blades carried by the frame, a yarn support pivoted in the frame, the longitudinal axis of said yarn support being in alignment with the row of blades, and its yarn supporting surface being in close proximity to the lower ends of the blades, means carried by the frame to arrest the rotation of the yarn support in one direction about its pivot, yielding means to urge the yarn support to rotate about its pivot and into contact with the support arresting means, and means to adjust the degree of flexure of the blades.

6. In a yarn cleaner the combination with a blade mounted to flex in the direction of travel of a strand of yarn of a yarn support mounted to rotate about an axis adjacent the flexible end of the blade and parallel to the direction of flexure of the blade and means to yieldingly urge the yarn support toward the flexible end of the blade.

7. In a yarn cleaner the combination with a blade mounted to flex in the direction of travel of a strand of yarn of a yarn support mounted to rotate about an axis adjacent the flexible end of the blade and parallel to the direction of flexure of the blade and means to yieldingly urge the yarn support toward the flexible end of the blade and means to adjustably limit the distance between the yarn support and the blade,

8. In a yarn cleaner the combination with a blade mounted to flex in the direction of travel of a strand of yarn of a yarn support mounted to rotate about an axis adjacent the flexible end of the blade and parallel to the direction of fiexure of the blade, yielding means to urge the yarn support toward the flexible end of the blade and an adjustable cam for limiting the approach of the yarn support toward the blade.

HARRY P. SERIO. ANTHONY W. SERIO. 

